Schizophrenia Gene Mutation Discovered: Findings Renew Hope for the Development of New, More Effective Drugs

Scientists have discovered a gene mutation that is strongly linked to schizophrenia and a signalling pathway that may be treatable with existing drugs.

“This discovery is the latest in a series of studies by our group and by others that have changed the tables in terms of genetic studies in schizophrenia,” Jonathan Sebat, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and cellular and molecular medicine at the University of California (UC), San Diego, who led the team that made the discovery, told Medscape Medical News.

“Mutations in the VIPR2 gene, which can be found in about 1 in 300 patients, are responsible for some amount of schizophrenia, but the fact that this mutation is rare does not necessarily diminish its importance because this is a drug-able gene,” he said………